While Italy took home the Euro 2020 trophy, it was Spain that stole the competition for share of lager sales during the tournament.
Across all matchdays, Spanish lagers grew their share of the category in like for like outlets by 2.7 percentage points over the same days in 2019. That meant it just pipped Italian lagers, which grew their share by 2.5 percentage points.
Elsewhere in the lager category, Belgian brands (up 1.4pp) and Dutch beers (up 0.5pp) both fared better than their nations’ teams in the tournament. Of the home nations, England’s progress to the Euros final wasn’t matched by its lagers, which lost 2.5pp of share—and in sales value terms, they dipped 23% on 2019. Scottish lagers’ market share was virtually unchanged.
On the day of the Euros final (Sunday 11 July), Spanish lagers saw sales jump by 84% from the same day in 2019, while Italian brands grew 56%. English lager joined the football team in a disappointing end to the tournament, losing 4.2pp of market share.
We’ve got used to countries on the continent beating the home nations to football tournament glory, and that’s how it turned out in lager sales too,” says Jonny Jones, CGA’s managing director, UK and Ireland. “Drinkers’ preference for Italian and Spanish beer might seem a bit unpatriotic, but it shows how they are broadening their horizons in lager. Given that these brands often command higher price points, some consumers appear to be favouring premium options in the early months of hospitality’s return.”
CGA’s research into drinks sales provides suppliers and operators with in-depth analysis of big trends at category, brand and outlet level. To learn more, contact jonathan.jones@cgastrategy.com.
